Thread gauging and flaw detecting device



Nov. 3, 1953 R. E. SOLLIDAY ETAL THREAD GAUGING AND FLAW DETECTING DEVICE Fil'ed March 30, 1949 FIG. 3

3 RAYMOND E. SOLLIDAY SAMUEL A. STEERE :gkoanev Patented Nov. 3, 1953 THREAD GAUGING AND FLAW DETECTING DEVIC Raymond E. Solliday and Samuel A.

Steere,

Akron, Ohio, assignors to Wingfoot Corporation, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application March 30, 1949, Serial No. 84,284

5 Claims.

The present invention pertains to a gauging and flaw detecting device for preventing the occurrence of defects in textile thread or cord. More particularly, the invention relates to a novel form of slub catcher device for use in conventional forms of thread manipulating apparatus to expose the presence of knots, broken filaments, slubs, and other common defects in textile thread or cord and to enable the removal of such defects therefrom.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive form of device which will serve to prevent the passage therethrough of any of the imperfections frequently encountered in the manufacture and manipulation of textile threads and cords which tend to produce defects in the resulting finished product if they are not promptly discovered and removed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a form of detecting device which can be readily applied to conventional thread manipulating apparatus and which is capable of being simply and efiiciently threaded up.

Still other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the detailed description of a typical form of flaw detecting device or slug catcher proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one form of slub catcher which is capable of being adapted to use to particular advantage in a doubler-twister machine Fig. 1 is a partial end elevation with parts in section illustrating such an installation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of a slub catcher unit of the invention with parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the slub catcher unit of Fig. 2 as seen from the line 3-3 therein and with parts broken away for the sake of clearness. Fig. 4 corresponds generally to Fig. 2 and illustrates the mode of operation of the device of the invention.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the reference numeral 1 refers generally to a doubler-twister apparatus embodying a spindle frame 2 supported upon a base portion 3. The spindle frame 2 is provided with a plurality of spool holders 4 on each of which is mounted a spool or supply package 5. A series of guides 6 corresponding in number generally with that of the spool holders 4 serves to direct the threads 1 from the several supply packages 5 to a guide eye 8 by means of which the individual threads are doubled or plied up to form the composite thread bundle 9.

The composite thread'bundle 9 is directed from 2 the guide eye 8 over and in contact with the surface of a roll l0 which is freely rotatably mounted upon a longitudinally extending shaft so as to be partially immersed in a processing liquid contained in the longitudinally extending trough H mounted on the base portion 3 of the doublertwister apparatus I. From the roll Ill the composite thread bundle 9 is passed through the slub catcher l2 mounted upon the base portion 3 of the doubler-twister apparatus I as by means of a mounting I3. A roller guide l4 directs the composite thread bundle 9 after it passes through the slub catcher l2 to the pigtail guide 15 from which it passes through the traveler IE mounted on the ring I! of the ring rail l8 where it is collected on the spool l9 as a twisted cord.

The spool I9 is rotatably mounted upon a verti cal shaft or spindle 2E3 supported by the longitudinal frame member 2| extending lengthwise of the doubler-twister apparatus I. The rotation of the spool [9 at high speed is accomplished by means of a pulley 22 mounted on the spindle 20. A belt drive of conventional form and embodying a transverse belt 23 serves to drive the pulley 22. As will be readily understood, the ring rail [8 is reciprocated in a direction axially with respect to the spool 19 by any suitable form of mechanism of conventional design commonly employed in such apparatus.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, and 4, it will be noted that the slub catcher i2 is provided with a supporting means or bracket 24 which has a depending leg portion 25 which is adapted to be secured to the mounting I3 as by means of a machine bolt 26 threaded into an internally threaded hole in the mounting. The bracket 24 has-a thread guide surface 2? defining a path of travel preferably in a horizontal position for the composite thread bundle 9 in the course of its passage from the guide eye 8 to the spool 19. It will be readily understood that with minor modifications, the slub catcher I2 may be adapted to be positioned in any other suitable manner with respect to the running thread bundle depending upon the nature of the thread manipulating apparatus to which it is applied.

The bracket 24 has an upturned or upwardly extending guide portion 23 which, as Will be readily understood from the description of the operation of the apparatus which follows, serves to direct the thread bundle 9 downward to the thread guide surface 27 of the bracket 2a when the apparatus is threaded up. The bracket 24 also has an upwardly projecting leg portion 29 disposed substantially at right angles to the thread guide surface 2! thereof.

The upwardly projecting leg portion 29 serves to support a stud 39 disposed at right angles to the face thereof and in generally parallel relation to the thread guide surface 21. The stud 39 is secured to the upwardly projecting leg portion 29 by means of the jam nuts 3| disposed on the threaded end 32 thereof. The body or rotatable member 33 is swingably mounted upon the bearing portion 34 of the stud 30 in such fashion that it is enabled to swing freely about the axis of the stud.

The body member 33 supports a counter-weight 35 which is mounted upon an arm 35 depending from the body member and arranged to describe an arcuate path defined by the limits of a slot 3! cut in the thread guide surface 2! of the bracket 24. The body member 33 is also provided with a feeler means or feeler 38 which is secured to and depends from the body member in a position substantially normal to the thread guide surface 21 of the bracket 24 when the body mem-= her is at rest with the counter-weight arm 33 at the extremity of the slot 31.

The feeler 38 is of generally U-shape form and is provided at the bight portion with a guide contour 39 having an abutment 43 formed at the end thereof for the purpose of limiting the movement of the composite thread bundle 9 transversely of the thread guide surface 21 of the bracket 24. The feeler 38 has a vertical leg 41 which is adapted to be inserted in a drill hole 42 in the body member 33. The vertical leg 4| of the feeler 38 is held in place in the drill hole 42 as by means of a set screw 33 registering with and threaded into an internally threaded hole 44 disposed at right angles to the drill hole 42. An outer leg 45 disposed in generally parallel relation to the vertical leg 4! on the feeler 38 advantageously extends partially across the end face of the body member 33. It is highly desirable that the outer leg 45 fit closely against the unsupported free end of the body member 33 so as to prevent the composite thread bundle 9 from being snagged or caught therebetween in the threading up operation.

The body member 33 also supports a cutter means or knife 45 inserted in a convenient slot cut in the body of the part and disposed at arouately spaced relation from the feeler 38. The knife 46 is secured in place in the body member 33 by means of a set screw 41 threaded into an internally threaded hole 48 drilled in the body of the body member 33 and substantially at right angles to the dispostion of the knife blade.

When the doubler-twister apparatus has been threaded up in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the composite cord bundle 9, after passing through the guide 8, will be grasped by the operator and directed to the space between the upwardly extending guide portion 28 and the free end of the body member 33 in substantially the same motion as the cord is passed over the lower guide I4 through the pigtail guide 15 and the traveler 19. This upwardly extending guide portion 28 and a beveled portion 49 on the body member 33 cooperate to direct the composite thread bundle 9 into its proper disposition under the feeler 38 and in contact with the thread guide surface 21 of the bracket 24. It is desirable in the threading up operation to facilitate as much as possible the guiding of the composite thread bundle 9 into the proper position in the slub catcher l2 to insure that all imperfections which may occur in the bundle will be immediately detected by the contact surface of the guide contour portion 39 of the feeler 38 to enable the de vice to operate in its intended manner. The upwardly extending guide portion 28 and the beveled portion 49 on the body member 33 adequately serve to expedite the threading up operation and as a result, the composite thread bundle 9 is at all times properly disposed on the thread guide surface 21 under the feeler 33 and in contact with the abutment of the guide contour portion 39.

Whenever, in the operation of the doublertwister apparatus I, an imperfection such, for example, as that indicated by the reference numeral 50 in Fig. 4 strikes the guide contour portion 39 of the feeler 38 in its passage along the thread guide surface 21 of the bracket 24, the body member 33 is caused to rotate in the direction indicated by the dotted arrows in Fig. 2 against the tendency of the counter-weight 35 to prevent the rotation of the body member 33. This rotation of the body member 33 brings the cutting edge 5| of the knife 43 into contact with the composite thread bundle 9, immediately severing it, thereby halting the further winding up of twisted cord upon the collecting spool [9. As soon as the operator detects a position on the doubler-twister apparatus I in this inoperative condition, he draws off a portion of the twisted thread bundle from the spool l9, removes the imperfection which caused the shutdown of the apparatus, and reties the thread bundle to enable the operation to be continued.

It is to be noted that the slub catcher device of the present invention is highly sensitive and will serve to sever the thread bundle passing over the thread guide surface 2! whenever any imperfection strikes the feeler 38 so as to initiate the severing operation. The feeler 33 is capable of being adjusted with respect to the thread guide surface 21 of the bracket 24 so as to enable the device to handle threads of varying gauge. This adjustment is accomplished by means of the set screw 43 and the raising or lowering of the feeler supported by the vertical leg 4| in th drill hole 42 of the body member 33.

While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A device for gauging and detecting flaws in a moving thread bundle comprising a supporting bracket; a guide surface on the bracket over which the thread bundle passes; a body member freely swingably mounted on the bracket above the guide surface thereof and about an axis in generally parallel relation to said surface; feeler means adjustably secured to said body member in closely spaced, generally parallel relation to the guide surface of the bracket; a counterweight depending from the body member and so positioned that the feeler means is maintained in a position substantially normal to the guide surface of the bracket when the body member is at rest; a separate cutting edge spaced rearwardly of the feeler means in the direction of passage of the thread bundle across the guide surface and adjustably mounted in the body member in depending relation thereto for contact with the guide surface of the bracket on rotation of the bodl member; and means on the body member and on the supporting bracket which cooperate to direct the thread bundle into position between the feeler means and the guide surface on the bracket.

2. A device for gauging and detecting flaws in a moving thread bundle comprising a bracket; a thread guide surface on the bracket; a generally cylindrically shaped body-supported at one end only thereof from the bracket about an axis above and generally parallel to the thread guide surface thereof; a feeler secured to the body disposed in generally parallel relation to the thread guide surface of the bracket; means adjusting the spacing between the feeler and the thread guide surface; a counterweight suspended from the body for maintaining the feeler in a position substantially normal to the thread guide surface of the bracket; a knife adjustably mounted in the body for contact with the thread guide surface of the bracket on rotation of the body in opposition to the action of the counterweight; a beveled portion adjacent the unsupported end of the body member; and an upwardly extending portion on the supporting bracket adjacent the thread guide surface thereon, said beveled portion cooperating with said upwardly extending portion to direct the thread bundle into position between the feeler and the thread guide surface on the bracket.

3. A device for gauging and detecting flaws in a moving thread bundle comprising a bracket; a thread guide surface on the bracket over which the thread bundle passes; a stud on the bracket disposed in parallel transverse relation to the thread guide surface; a generally cylindrical body rotatably mounted on the stud with one end thereof free and unsupported; a feeler secured to the body having a first portion thereof disposed in parallel transverse relation to the thread guide surface and a second portion extending normal to the first and in contact with the free end of the body; means securing the feeler in place in the body for adjusting the spacing between the first portion of the feeler and the thread guide surface; a counterweight depending from the body and limiting the extent of rotation thereof about the stud, said counterweight being so disposed that the feeler is maintained in a position substantially normal to the thread guide surface; and a knife secured to the body for contact with the thread guide surface whenever the body is rotated in opposition to the counterweight.

4. A device for gauging and detecting flaws in a moving thread bundle comprising a bracket; 2.

thread guide surface on the bracket over which i the thread bundle passes; a stud on the bracket disposed in parallel transverse relation to the thread guide surface; a generally cylindrical body rotatably mounted on the stud with one end thereof free and unsupported; a feeler secured to the body having a first portion thereof disposed in parallel transverse relation to the thread guide surface and a second portion extending normal to the first and in contact with the free end of the body; means securing the feeler in place in the body for adjusting the spacing between the first portion of the feeler and the thread guide surface; a counterweight depending from the body and limiting the extent of rotation thereof about the stud, said counterweight being so disposed that the feeler is maintained in a position substantially normal to the thread guide surface; a knife secured to the body for contact with the thread guide surface whenever the body is rotated in opposition to the counterweight; and means on the body and on the bracket cooperating to direct the thread bundle into position between the first portion of the feeler and the thread guide surface.

5. A device for gauging and detecting flaws in a moving thread bundle comprising means providing a thread guide surface defining a path of travel for the thread bundle; a body member rotatably supported about an axis in generally parallel and transverse relation to the thread guide surface; feeler means on the body member in spaced parallel relation to the thread guide surface, normal to the direction of travel of the thread bundle and in contact therewith; weight means on the body member limiting the extent of rotation thereof and maintaining the feeler means in yieldable contact with the thread bundle; a separate cutter means on the body member disposed in rearwardly spaced relation to the feeler means in the direction of the path of travel of the thread bundle across the guide surface for contact with the thread bundle and the thread guide surface on rotation of the body member against the influence of the weight means; and means on the body member and on the thread guide surface which cooperate to direct the thread bundle into position between the feeler means and the thread guide surface.

RAYMOND E. SOLLIDAY. SAMUEL A. STEERE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 750,850 Hardman Feb. 2, 1904 1,458,917 Bergren June 12, 1923 1,609,917 Perrin Dec. 7, 1926 1,749,511 Sands Mar. 4, 1930 1,784,141 Hastings Dec. 9, 1930 2,002,843 Truesdell May 28, 1935 2,257,125 Plourde Sept. 30, 1941 

